The Martyr
by Hitomi2011
Summary: She has no other choice... She has to go back, if not for her than for the sake of everyone... Everyone who died in this retched war. She was going to fix this, even if she died trying. NanoFate OCxOC
1. Prologue

The Martyr

_Disclaimer: Just own my original characters and plot_

**Prologue**

"I'll hold him back, just go!" panted her aunt, blood gushing out from several gashes on her barrier jacket.

_Please_, she heard in her cold heart.

Hayate wouldn't last much longer and they both knew it. You would expect tears in a girl's eyes when the only parental figure she had left was about to sentence herself to a brutal death, but with all the destruction she had seen, there were no more tears left to shed. Where there was once pain, now held numbness.

As she turned her back on her dying army, she heard those cries of torture from her comrades as the enemy came closer to its target… her.

Instead of making her want to go help them, these screams just made her fly faster. She had to hurry or everything would go to waste, everyone she cared about would have died for nothing.

As she reached the only room in the church not destroyed by the war, she felt the familiar stab in her heart and an increase in the emptiness she felt…

She was now truly the only one left, the only one who could fix this.

Aunt Hayate was just added to the list of people who she had to avenge.

Vita, Shamal, Rein, Signum, Zafira, Subaru, Ginga, Teana, Vice, Uncle Chrono, Aunt Amy, her cousins, her grandparents, Yuuno, Erio, Caro, Friedrich, Arf, the names never stopped.

They all ran through her head as a bright red circle began glow beneath her feet. With each passing name, the power pulsing through her veins strengthened. The walls around her began to crumble but she didn't notice. The spell was too close to completion and if sidetracked for a split second, it would be a failure.

But she couldn't fail…

She wouldn't fail…

Stone started falling around her, but the circle reached its peak…

"Apollo, Athena," she said in a hoarse voice, "You know what to do."

"Sì, signore"

"Nai, kýrie"

… _I promise Onee-chan, Fate-mama, Nanoha-mama…_

… _I promise I will change everything…_

… _No matter what happens, no matter what I have to do, I won't fail you…_

… _Not again…_

When his men broke into the room, all he could do was curse, because the room was empty.

Miles away, a blonde sighed in relief, "The future and past have now been blurred. It's all up to her now."

_May the Lord be with you, young Takamachi_, thought Carim.

**A/N: Criticism is welcomed! good or bad! Review please!**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

"Geez Nanoha! Can't you go easy on them for once! And what did I tell you about pushing yourself too hard!" exclaimed Shamal, watching the mages limp their way into her care.

Nanoha laughed at this and cheekily grinned, "But your job would be so boring without me, Shamal. Besides, I wasn't too rough on them."

As she said this, she patted one of her students on the back, causing him cringed and groan in pain. Shamal gave her a look.

"Sorry Leon," Nanoha muttered.

"S'alright, Commander," he said, all the while grimacing when Nanoha wiped the blood on her hand off with a towel.

Shamal opened her mouth to continue her scolding when a five year old ran past her and into her mother's arms.

"Mama!" Vivio yelled as Nanoha picked her up and twirled her around, causing Vivio to giggle.

"How's my girl doing?" Nanoha said, giving Vivio a kiss on the cheek.

As the little Takamachi rambled on about her day at school, Shamal began to clean a wound on Leon's arm.

"How is it possible that one minute she's deadly and the next she's motherly?" Leon wondered out loud.

"The Devil has many sides to her," whispered the girl beside him, making Shamal chuckled.

"Fate-mama is coming home today, right Mama?" asked Vivio when she and Nanoha walked into their home. Before she could notice Nanoha's sad expression, a voice came from the living room.

"I should hope so. She did promise after all."

"Fate-mama!" screamed Vivio as she ran to her other mother. Once Fate set Vivio down, she walked to the shocked Takamachi that was still standing in the doorway.

"I'm home," said Fate as she caressed Nanoha's cheek and gave her a soft, yet short, kiss.

"You said you weren't coming for another week," said Nanoha disbelievingly, grabbing the hand that was still on her cheek. Fate smirked,

"I lied."

Vivio stared up at her mothers and couldn't help but feel happy. Nothing could ruin this moment.

A couple hours later, Fate was finishing up her written report when she felt hands start to massage her neck and shoulders.

"You never take a break do you?" whispered her lover, causing her to shiver.

"God, I missed this," she groaned when Nanoha kneaded her way through the hard knots in the overused muscle.

"Vivio's asleep," Nanoha had moved Fate's long blonde hair to the side and stared pressing light kisses on her neck. She smiled when she heard Fate moan. "If we're really quiet, we could-"

She let out a gasp, an eerie feeling washed over her, as if an enormous amount of power had broken through the atmosphere. Her body and mind were in a daze that didn't release its hold on her until the feeling went away. Sweat had broken out all over her body, and she panted as if she had just run for hours. She noticed then that her knees had given away and all her weight was on her lover who was too, gasping for air.

"What-" Fate's disbelief was interrupted by their daughter, slightly opening the door, tears welling in her mismatched eyes.

"Nanoha-mama? Fate-mama? I feel funny."

Fate stood and went to her, and picked her up in her arms, still trying to solve what had just occurred.

"Receiving an urgent call, my master," said Nanoha's intelligent device, Raising Heart, causing Nanoha to straighten up to her full height and go into commander mode.

"Accept call."

The three soon stared at their old and currently pale friend, Hayate Yagami, her kind blue eyes unusually grave.

"You felt that too." It wasn't a question.

"What was it?" asked Fate, but Hayate shook her head.

"Meet me at the Saint Church, everyone's on their way," and with that, the screen disappeared. Fate and Nanoha looked at one another and nodded, both heading to Fate's car, taking a shaken and confused Vivio with them.

"Sorry we're late, Vivio had a hard time being left with Admiral Lindy and Arf," said Nanoha as she and Fate walked into Carim's office. The couple was surprised at the amount of people.

"Took you long enough," said Vita, who was nudge by Signum. Shamal was on her left, kneeling over Carim who was lying on a couch. Before Fate could ask, Carim quickly replied, "I just felt a little woozy during the episode. I'm fine now." Her last remark aimed at Shamal.

"The reason I called you all here, was because of this."

She held up blank sheet of paper, "I was in the process of seeing my annual prophecy, and everything was going on as normal. But in middle of foreseeing… everything went black… as if all I saw had disappeared"

"You're sure you didn't just faint?" asked Vita.

"That's the strange part. Sometimes I would black out, as if I were in a trance, but when I would snap out of it, the poem would already be written. As you can see, the paper's blank. Even when I couldn't control my power, I _always_ wrote something, even if it didn't make sense." Nanoha had never seen Carim look insecure about her power before.

"Maybe the future changed. Isn't it always in motion?" asked Chrono.

"It doesn't change that fast," admitted Carim.

A pregnant silence took hold of the room, while everyone gathered their thoughts. But before any could voice them, Hayate got a call from Yuuno.

"What we felt was a surge of magical energy," he explained, "When a being, or any substance really, contains an immense amount of magic, mages within their range can sense them."

"Then why hasn't any sensed it?" "How can we track it?" "What exactly is it?" Many asked at once.

Yuuno held up his hand to silence them.

"That's what bothers me. The size of their range depends on how powerful they are. They could be 5 miles away, or 5 billion miles away and we wouldn't know. It could be anything, from what I've read. Supposedly, you can only sense it when you enter its range. We won't sense it if we leave the range or are still in it. Because only a few have been recorded, there isn't much on them, and the only records that discuss them are vague."

"What can we do?" asked Signum.

"Nothing," stated Hayate.

"But what if someone gets a hold of it?" asked Fate, "What if that person isn't necessarily good?"

"Those sources of power have never once been found," reassured Yuuno, "They usually disappear as fast as they came."

"Then how come it happened right after my prophecy was erased?" asked Carim.

"Maybe it was a coincidence, maybe you didn't realize that the surge was what you saw," Yuuno replied. Carim still looked unconvinced, but stayed silent.

"Okay then," said Chrono, "There clearly is nothing that we can do except wait and hope for the best. Yuuno, keep looking for more information, I'll even send people to help research if you need it." Yuuno nodded.

When everyone left, Carim took the blank sheet of paper once again.

_This doesn't make sense… yet why do I feel a little relieved, as if I didn't like the prophecy I was about to make?_

Thousands or miles away, on the non-administered world #97, in Uminari City, Japan, a hospital had just admitted a young brunette, found near a small café called Midori-ya.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

The pain was unbearable…

Yet she kept fighting…

Kept killing…

She wanted to stop but they just kept coming…

Her body was begging for rest, sweat and blood dripped all over, but her swords kept swinging, never missing their target. Suddenly, she felt searing pain through her left shoulder. She staggered, knees hitting the ground. The men and machine surrounded her, coming closer with each breath she took, their weapons set to fire. It was over, she knew and accepted, but she couldn't die like this. She shut her eyes, and heard a bang…

She shot up from bed, panting heavily. In the back of her mind, she could hear a heart monitor beep widely, but in her disoriented state she could barely take notice of her surroundings. Her gown stuck to her skin, and she didn't have to look in the mirror to know that she was sickly pale. A fierce pounding in her head caused her to shut her eyes from the light, and a wave of nausea came over her. She heard the door open, but didn't trust her eyes, and just held her head in her hands.

"So sleeping beauty awakens," joked the nurse, while checking the monitors, "and it took a nightmare to do it."

She replied with a groan, taking a peek at the nurse who was now pushing her wet, dark brown hair aside to feel her forehead. The woman wrote something down on a clipboard and pushed her back to bed.

"The doctor will be in here shortly," she took from her pocket a pack of pills and gave her two with a cup of water, "this should take care of the migraine."

She thanked the woman, and leaned back, trying to organize her thoughts.

_What happened? Why am I here? _

Before she could call on Athena or Apollo, a man came in, grabbing the clipboard the nurse had held moments ago.

"How are we doing Miss?"

"Izumi," she replied, remembering the anime character she used for her alias, "Hikari Izumi."

"Well Izumi-san, do you remember anything?" she pretended to think for a minute and then shook her head, "you were admitted to the Uminari City Hospital on February 16th, which was three days ago in a comatose state. For whatever the reason, you body is physically drained and you will have to stay in bed. We've cleaned and bandaged your injuries…"

Kari had stopped listening to him when she heard the date…

Three days… does that matter?

She racked her already exhausted brain for an answer…

_Three days… that makes today the 19__th__… Why is this date so importan- _

Her eyes widened and her heart stopped.

"What time is it?" she asked, interrupting him completely.

"Excuse me?"

"What time is it?" she asked urgently, grabbing his coat.

"A-a quarter to four," he stammered. She let him go, her heart monitor speeding up.

"Shit," she cursed as she yanked the tubes of her body, jumped out of the bed and ran out of the room, ignoring the vertigo that had hit her. She heard the doctor scream after her but she didn't have the time to listen.

_15 minutes… Damn it, only 15 minutes…_

Before anyone could stop her, she broke through the closest window and called on her devices, no even beginning to fall when her armor was in place and she sped through the sky, leaving flames behind.

When she past a clock tower, she knew a couple of minutes had passed. This just made her increase her speed, creating a bright red trail in its tracks. The café was close now; all she had to do was find the item.

"Apollo, tract the chip, we're in range."

"Sì, signore"

A red diamond appeared in her palm, and created a screen in front of her, pinpointing to the back of the café.

"Bomba si trova a 4 chilometri di distanza, signore (Bomb is 4 kilometers away, sir)," said Apollo.

"Thanks."

"Éxi leptá, kýrie (Six minutes, sir)," reminded her other intelligent device, Athena.

She flew over the café, too fast for any bystander to notice, except for the hot air that had suddenly passed them. She landed in the back of the café, looking not only for the device, but also who had placed it.

_Where is he?_

She clenched her fists, feeling someone watching her. She quickly turned and blocked a kick aiming at her, reciprocating by kneeing the enemy in the groin and punching his jaw with such force, that he smashed into the wall.

_No matter how much time passes, he is still as predictable as ever_, she tried to smile but winced, her body still had not fully recovered. She would have properly taken care of him if Athena hadn't reminded her that a minute and a half remained.

After spending 30 seconds finding the device and removing it from the wall, she flew up as high as she could go and threw the tiny chip as far away from her and the ground below. A couple seconds later, a large explosion was heard throughout the streets of Uminari City, many civilians including the owners of the café stepped outside to see the fireball in the sky. She couldn't help grin as she flew away.

_I saved them… I _saved_ them…_

When Kari flew down to the back of the building, the man was gone.

_Shit

* * *

_

Three days had gone by since the whole surge incident, and while Hayate and Chrono were receiving many updates from Yuuno, and dealing with the all the heads of the TSAB, no progress had been made.

"You should rest," Hayate lifted her head from a stack of papers, her tired eyes somehow managing to stay opened.

"I'm fine Signum. Anyways, I can't afford to sleep. Squads from all over the universe have been calling me nonstop demanding explanations I don't have. And because of the time differences, they could call at any time of day."

"Rein could handle it, right Rein?" The spirit in question was at the moment sticking her tongue out at the unison device on Signum's shoulder. She quickly composed herself and nodded.

"Anything for Hayate."

"Signum, have you ever felt something like that?" wondered Hayate, looking at the sunset, giving her a golden glow.

"I have heard about them, but they were said to be myths. No one truly believed there was someone with such power."

"I've had a bad feeling for a while Signum. Something's going to happen. Things have been too quiet."

"I-" Rein gasped, looking at a tiny screen in front of her.

"Master, you have to see this!" she quickly turned on the large TV screen, where a news report was being shown.

"Occurred in un-administered planet #97. The bomb was clearly magical-based because its intensity has far surpassed the technology of that planet. Lucky enough, the explosion was too far away to injure civilians, but it was large enough to grab their attention. Further investigation is taking place as we speak, while the TSAB is working on covering this up…" The screen showed the clear sky quickly changed in to an orange ball of flame.

"Stop the footage." Signum exclaimed, "Play it back to before the explosion. Play it in slow motion."

Rein did so, and the three watched Signum point at a certain area of the blue sky on the corner of the screen. There appeared to be a small dot there.

"That could be anything Signum. A bird or something," said Rein.

"Watch," commanded Signum.

As the video slowly played, that small dot started to glow and just as the explosion went into play, the dot disappeared, leaving a streak of red behind it.

"A bird wouldn't do that. Zoom in as much as you can." Even though the image was blurry, the three could clearly make out the outline of a human.

"Looks like we found the culprit. Good eye Signum," complimented Agito, who had been strangely quiet since the conversation started.

Hayate looked more closely at the image, "Do you think that this being has anything to do with the surge that we felt?"

"Unlikely but worth considering," Signum replied.

"Master… Look at its location… Isn't that close to the Takamachi café?"

Hayate's eyes widened.

"Contact Nanoha… tell her it's of high importance."

While Rein was doing just that, Signum left to get Fate, knowing she would want in on this.

_This is too big a coincidence to be ignored… but why Nanoha?

* * *

_

Kari had been lying on the hotel bed for hours now, meditating. You would think that after a long day you would want to sleep… But that is the one thing she wouldn't do. If she did, she would only be haunted by past events… events she didn't want to remember.

The last time she had a peaceful slumber, _she _was alive and laying next to her… She scolded herself for thinking about that, trying to force down the lump on her throat.

Meditating was the only alternative to not sleeping. Sure it doesn't give your body complete rest, but if done right, you can function the next day as if you've gotten just barely enough rest.

Before long, the sun was already up and shining, and an alarm was heard from within her.

"Óra na sikotheí, kýrie (Time to get up, sir)," said Athena, jolting Kari from her trance.

"Il caffè è stato aperto per due ore. Se non si lascia ora, non si avrà la possibilità, signore (The cafe has been open for two hours now. If you don't leave now, you won't have a chance, sir)," reminded Apollo.

That got Kari moving at lighting speed. She ran to the kitchen, grabbing a quick breakfast and go ready for the day. Yes, the hotel room had a kitchen. The room, or suite, was five-star quality. How she had the money to pay for it… well, hacking is a valuable skill during times of war and hiding.

Once she had put on the proper attire for the period (she had taken some of her mothers' when they were her age) she stopped in front of the door. The nerves were finally kicking in. This was it… she was finally going to meet the people she had only seen through pictures. She took a deep breath and walked out.

Once she was out the building, she headed toward the café, passing by an electronics shop with TVs' on display, all showing the explosion from yesterday. The news couldn't get enough of it. She knew that the TSAB would be heading this way soon, so she had to be ready.

* * *

"There are still no further improvements on the investigation of the explosion that occurred yesterday at four o'clock. Even though many are working on the case…"

It was a slow day, probably because the crowd wanted to stay away from where the explosion was closest.

Momoko sighed, "Aren't you guys worried? It was so close to us."

Shirō laughed, "Honey, nothing's going to happen okay? Besides, why on earth would someone want to bomb us?"

"I don't know… I just got scared that's all," she said not looking him in the eye.

Shirō went to his wife and gave her a hug, knowing what was really bothering her. Their youngest daughter dealt with dangerous things like this on a daily basis. Once Momoko saw it with her own eyes, the gravity of danger in her daughter's work was starting to hit her harder than before.

"She's fine. She can handle anything."

"What if this has something to do with her? I almost lost her once… I can't go through it again."

"You have to give Nanoha more credit than that. I can't promise she'll be fine but I can promise that Fate will never let anything happen to her."

"Yeah mom," said Miyuki, "Fate's like a watchdog when it comes to Vivio and Nanoha."

Momoko wiped her eyes and grinned, " Nanoha got really lucky didn't she? Finding Fate."

Kyōya nodded, "And it doesn't hurt that she's hot." Miyuki smacked him on top of his head and the family laughed. They stopped when they heard the door open

Standing there was a young woman, with long, dark brown hair that reached to her mid-back. Her smooth, pale skin contrasted with her deep, burgundy eyes. Just by looking at her body, you could tell she was fit. But the characteristic that caught their attention the most was a thin but prominent jagged scar that ran down the left side of her face, starting from just above her left eyebrow and ending at the top of her left cheek. Even though she looked young, the sorrow in her eyes told you otherwise. Her beauty and presence mesmerized the four Takamachi, but in the back of each of their minds, they wondered why this girl seemed familiar.

She smiled a smile that didn't meet her eyes, one that made Momoko's heart tighten for some reason.

"Hi, my name is Hikari Izumi, I was wondering if you had any jobs open."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Three weeks! It had taken them three weeks to get permission to go to the un-administered planet #97!

"Mama, are we there yet?" asked Vivio for the thousandths time. Nanoha gripped the steering wheel tighter as Fate sighed heavily. Since Vivio was on break, they had decided to bring her along since it had been a while since she had last seen her grandparents.

"We're almost there Vivio," Fate reassured her.

"But-" Vivio started but Nanoha gave her a look that stopped her from replying.

"Why it took us this long is beyond me…" muttered Nanoha, venting out her irritation. All the while, she seemed to accelerate the car a bit more.

Fate shook her head; Nanoha had been like this since the moment they heard the news and wouldn't get better until she herself made sure her family was safe.

"Nanoha," she warned as she took note of the speed limit, "No one is going to pull anything now that we're here. And if they do, we won't let anything happen to them."

She took a hold of one of Nanoha's hands and intertwined their fingers.

"Yeah Mama! No one can get past the Ace of Aces!" Vivio never missed the chance to show off her mom to anyone.

Nanoha smiled, but couldn't help but feel something pulling her toward the café, like some sort of force. By the time they reached their destination, she was a couple shades paler, anxious for an unknown reason. Fate looked troubled too, but seemed to be more worried about the women standing next to her. She squeezed Nanoha's hand to reassure her for whatever the reason might be.

Vivio, oblivious to it all, couldn't contain her excitement any longer and ran inside, wanting to see the family she had missed so much.

"Vivio-chan!" exclaimed Shirō, picking her up and twirling her around.

"Ojiisan!" Vivio giggled. Fate and Nanoha, who had entered not soon after Vivio, shared a smile, their anxiousness disappearing, if only for a while.

Fate stood back and watched the Takamachi family reunite once again, noting the look of relief in Nanoha's eyes.

"Are you going to just stand there forever Fate?" asked Momoko, embracing the young woman. Fate returned the hug, catching Nanoha's eyes, both thinking the same thing.

_It's good to be home_.

* * *

"So how long are you staying?" asked Miyuki, setting a plate of cookies one the table, Vivio's greedy hands attacking the plate not long after.

The café was closing soon and many of the customers had already emptied out. Most of the family was sitting around a table while Miyuki continued to finish cleaning up the café for the night.

Nanoha and Fate had gone to the Takamachi house to drop off their bags and had quickly returned, setting their stuff into the guest room while Vivio took Nanoha's old room.

"Well, Vivio doesn't start school again for another two weeks but if anything suspicious happens, Fate and I will have to stay a little longer."

"This has something to do with that explosion a while back, doesn't it?" asked Shirō. Nanoha and Fate shared a weary look, which basically confirmed his suspicions.

"Look Dad, we can't say much but just keep your guard up for a while and let us know if anything odd or suspicious happens. We're here to investigate. It's probably nothing," Nanoha tried to assure him, though not believing those words herself.

Momoko opened her mouth to speak but Nanoha's cell phone began to ring.

"Hai," Nanoha quickly pulled the phone a good foot away from her ear, a loud voice clearly heard by everyone in the room.

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US YOU WERE COMING SOONER? IS FATE AND HAYATE WITH YOU? VIVIO? WE'RE GOING OUT TO DINNER TONIGHT, IT'S ON ME! YOUR FAMILY IS MORE THAN WELCOMED TO JOIN. SUZUKA ALREADY SAID SHE WAS COMING!" Alisa screamed.

Nanoha giggled and looked at the rest, silently asking if they wanted to go out. When they all agreed, she brought the phone close to her ear once again,

"Hello to you to Alisa. Mou, can you not yell though, I think I'm partially deaf," she said while laughing.

"Gomen," Alisa quickly replied, chuckling herself. "So is that a yes?"

"Where do we meet you?"

Nanoha shut the phone a couple minutes after, turning to her family once more, letting them know the restaurant that Alisa had in mind.

"I love that place!" Momoko exclaimed.

"I think we have a problem though," Fate interrupted, gesturing to the young girl leaning against her, half asleep.

"Poor kid's worn out," commented Shirō.

"I'll stay with her," Fate quickly suggested, not wanting Nanoha to miss out on the little time she has with her family.

"No Mama! I'm not tir-" her statement was caught off by a yawn.

"Nonsense, I think I have the perfect babysitter in mind.

Ignoring Nanoha and Fate's surprised looks, she continued, "Don't worry, she's responsible and won't let anything happen to Vivio. Your father trusts her with the café, and you know how protective he gets over it."

"Hey!" Shirō playfully exclaimed. Momoko stuck her tongue out at him in reply.

_Still acting like newlyweds_, Fate mused while stroking her daughter's hair while she fought a weak battle against sleep.

"You hired someone?" Nanoha asked.

"The day after the explosion actually," replied Momoko, the nugget of information quickly catching Nanoha and Fate's attention.

"She should be back any minute now, she left to get some supplies for the café. She's a nice girl, hard working too." The others nodded in confirmation.

Before Nanoha could even question them about the suspicious timing, the anxiousness she had felt earlier returned, in stronger waves. The hairs on her neck stood and a chill went down her back. She felt Fate stiffen beside her, and Vivio, who had almost disappeared to the land of dreams, quickly rushed back to reality.

The bell on the door jingled behind them as the door opened.

"And here she is," Momoko stood, the others following her actions as well.

"I'm back," Nanoha's heart for some reason skipped when she heard the voice, and time seemed to slow as she stood and turned to face the unknown force.

"Izumi-san, I'd like you to meet my youngest daughter, Nanoha."

Amethyst clashed with familiar yet distinct burgundy.

The burgundy eyes widened, the owner's heart beating wildly, filling up with hope, pain, and fear.

_Mama?_


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

She shivered as she walked closer to her destination, feeling drawn to it with each step she took. Her grip on the box tightened as the light of the setting sun illuminated the street. She was surprised to see customers still in the store when nearing the café and even more surprised to see that the Takamachi had joined the customers.

She reached for the doorknob, "I'm back." Kari had to hold back a gasp as three familiar and desperately missed auras caressed her.

"Izumi-san, I'd like you to meet my youngest daughter, Nanoha." She barely heard her grandmother as her eyes found a younger, livelier version of the women she feared and loved most.

_Mama?_

Her mother was just the same as Kari remembered, yet different… happier… That itself was enough to make her heart wrench with pain and guilt. Luckily for her, she had spent years perfecting the mask she was forced to put on for most of her life.

"Pleased to meet you," Hikari's voice held firm as she bowed her head. "Hikari Izumi."

Nanoha narrowed her eyes but reciprocated, feeling a strange aura from the young teen in front of her.

"Takamachi Nanoha."

A girl with mismatched eyes broke the strange tension in the room, peering timidly behind her mother, having quickly left her other mother's side. She tentatively took a step towards Hikari, until she was only a foot away, staring curiously at the stranger before her.

Hikari's well-trained mask cracked when she faced her older sister. She kneeled down to the girl's height when the young girl reached her, giving her a smile and stretching her hand out to be shaken.

"Hikari Izumi, but you can call me Kari. Who might you be?" Vivio stared at the hand quizzically before taking it, surprised by the surge of energy she felt at the touch.

"Takamachi Vivio, daughter of the Ace of Aces."

Hikari's grin widened, hearing the old nickname of their mother. Vivio smiled back, taking a liking of this mysterious girl before her.

"I like you." Kari laughed at the girl's blunt comment, but quickly looking up to hear another woman slightly scolding at the young girl.

"Vivio!" Fate scolded, Vivio sometimes had minor slip ups about TSAB's existence whenever they visited Earth.

"It's alright. Kyōya-san told me you worked for the military."

Burgundy met burgundy, and Fate was suddenly reminded of times when she looked at a picture of her sister, Alicia, or simply looked at a mirror. Her postured stiffened, and much like her wife, kept her guard up.

_There's something odd about her_, Fate told Nanoha telepathically while Nanoha's father introduced her.

"This is Nanoha's wife, Fate T. Harlaown and Vivio is their daughter. They came to visit for a couple of weeks," Shirō informed.

"Are you a tactician or flyer?" asked Hikari, pretending to be curious. Nanoha seemed surprised by the question, while Fate stared at her more intently.

"My parents were in the army," said Kari, explaining why she was interested.

'_Were'?_ Thought Nanoha, trying to figure out just who this girl was.

"Really?" Kyōya seemed surprised, "You never told us that."

Kari's eyes hardened, recalling various past events. _You wouldn't believe half what I would tell you_, she darkly thought.

She quickly turned her back to them and placed the bag of supplies on the counter, trying to compose herself.

"You never asked," she said when she turned around again, forcing a grin to appear.

Momoko looked at the clock, eyes widening at the time. "If we don't head out now, we will never make it. Izumi-san, could you do us a huge favor?"

Kari hesitated but nodded nonetheless.

"Could you please look after Vivio while the rest of us go out to dinner with Nanoha and Fate's friends? We would bring her along but she's tired as it is."

It was ironic that not too long ago, thought Kari, Vivio would have been the one to take care of her.

The girl in question seemed wide-awake now thanks to a certain unknown force, but she stayed quiet. Vivio liked being close to the girl, and she wouldn't pass up the chance to do so.

"Sure." Nanoha opened her mouth to object, not liking this arrangement but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned to see Fate silently shake her head.

_If we say anything now, she'll know we're suspicious. It would be too obvious if she were to do something now_.

Nanoha agreed with the reasoning before her sister took a hold of her and hurried her out the door. She looked back to see a helpless Fate get the same treatment from her mother. She waved at Vivio, trying to act like the odd feeling was nonexistent.

Vivio waved at her mamas, giggling at how they exited, before quickly turning to see her new babysitter, frowning at the sullen look on the girl's face.

Kari gazed at her parents as they walked out the door, sadly noting the their automatic reactions toward her. She should have known they would have felt _something _about her. Feeling a pair of eyes on her, she turned to the girl and genuinely smiled for the first time.

"Let's go," Kari said while offering her hand. Vivio ignored the feeling she got at the touch and followed the older girl out the shop, waiting outside for a second as Kari locked the café doors.

Kari led her to a black and red motorcycle, parked close to the café. Vivio stared at it in fascination as Kari got on. She tentatively took the helmet she was offered, not trusting the machine in front of her.

"Don't worry, you're safe with me, I promise."

Vivio heard the honesty and sincerity behind the comment and all her worries left her. She had never truly believed promises like that unless they came from her mothers, but she couldn't help but hold that comment close. She got on and wrapped her arms around the girl's waist, noting how safe she felt around her.

They quickly zoomed to the Takamachi household, much to Vivio's dismay. She found out that she truly loved riding on motorcycles.

"Can't we keep driving?" she begged before yawning, her sleep now returning

"Sorry Viv, but that yawn just explained why we can't," Kari said, turning off the bike. She ruffled Vivio's helmet hair and picked her up, carrying her the rest of the way home. She had to pick up some supplies from the house earlier that day so she already had a key.

After lying a now pajama dressed Vivio on her bed, she went to turn off the lights but small hand stopped her.

"Why are you so sad?" Vivio innocently asked…

"_Don't be sad, Kari-chan" said Vivio struggling to take another breath._

"_No! Onee-chan, don't give up! Fate-mama and Nanoha-mama will be here any minute now! Don't leave me!" her tears were uncontrollable now as the small body tried to hold the wounded one._

_A cold and bloody hand wiped them away, "G-gomen, Kari-chan…" _

_The hand fell lifelessly to the ground. "ONEE-CHAN!"_

"Kari-chan?"

Hikari woke form the memory, clearly shaken, "Sorry," she said, weakly smiling at Vivio and gently kissed her forehead.

"Don't worry about me. Good night."

Once Hikari was out the room, she lean on a wall, letting out a shaky breath, flashes of bloody scenes quickly overtaking her vision. She shook her head, trying to forget them.

"Adelfí̱ sou koimátai, kýrie (Your sister is asleep, sir)," Athena informed.

Hikari slowly slid onto her knees and finally let the tears fall…

Hikari greeted the family when they returned from dinner an hour later. Fate quickly noticed her eyes having a slight tinge of pink but said nothing.

"Thanks again, Izumi-san," Momoko said once more.

"No problem. See you tomorrow." She bowed and left, the strange force leaving with her.

Fate and Nanoha went to see their daughter, finding her soundly asleep. When Nanoha tenderly kissed the girl's forehead, Vivio mumbled, "-ari-chan."

"I don't trust her," Nanoha whispered. "I don't know why, but I don't."

Fate wrapped her arms around her wife, nodding.

"We'll look into it tomorrow."

Days had gone by but Fate and Nanoha had yet to see Hikari do anything suspicious. It didn't help that Vivio wanted to spend every waking moment with her.

Nanoha walked into their room, coming back from waking Vivio up, to find her wife intently looking at a screen in front of her and listening to Yuuno's voice in the background.

"There's no one by that name in all of Japan. No birth certificate, nothing. I even checked other solar systems and have yet to find something. It's like she appeared out of thin air," Yuuno ended his speech with wonder.

"It's odd," came another voice. Nanoha's eyes widened in surprise to see Hayate appear on another screen. "You said that she showed up the day after the bomb incident?"

"Yes," said Fate. "There is something about her… I get this presence of strong power whenever I'm around her, but I don't know how to explain it."

"She's not the only one," Nanoha confirmed, finally entering the discussion. "It's as if we were drawn to her."

"Does it feel like the surge?" asked Hayate.

Silence was her answer.

"Not to that extent," Fate said after a minute.

"How's everything over there?" Nanoha said trying to forget how she felt the day that had started all of this.

"Things have somewhat gotten back to normal but everyone's on their guard. I have a feeling something is going to happen."

"I found something," Yuuno interrupted her. "A medical report of a girl with Izumi-san's description, who was found lying unconscious on a street not too far from the café. She was taken to the Uminari City Hospital and was in a coma for three days. They believed it was from exhaustion but they couldn't explain why she had some superficial wounds. She told them her name but before they could ask her anything else, she ran off. It said she woke up on-" he stopped suddenly.

"She woke up when, Yuuno?" Hayate asked, suddenly alert.

"February 19th."

"The day of the bombing," Nanoha whispered.

"Have a good day," Kari said to the customer, sighing once he left. Today's morning rush took longer than usual.

"Was that the last of them?" Miyuki asked. She cheered when she saw the other girl nod. She flopped down on a chair, grabbed the TV remote, and began to skim through the channels. Kari would have laughed if she hadn't heard the breaking news on the TV.

"This unknown machine has now closed off the southern part of the city. Our cameramen are trying to get a better look." On the screen, a large body of medal appeared, but unlike similar machines seen in movies, it wasn't aiming to destroy everything. Its target was not far from it. Suddenly, the screen turned into black and white mesh.

Miyuki stood, turning many shades paler, "Wasn't that-" She didn't even finish her question. Hikari was already out the door and in the air.

_It's too soon. They shouldn't appear for another couple years. Why now?_

Another shield appeared, blocking another of the machines blasts. Nanoha grunted, trying to keep it intact.

"What is that thing?" Nanoha asked Fate, who seemed just as tired as her.

"I don't know." Fate once again tried to get another hit at it but only seemed to give it minor damage. She just barely dodged another blast.

_Fate!_ She heard Nanoha's worried cry.

_I'm all right,_ She reassured her. _Yuuno, have you found any weak point?_

_I can't get anything. Whatever that body is made out of, it's not from earth._

_Don't worry about exposure_, Hayate added. _It's taken care of. I'm on my way over there now._

"Let's attack it at the same time!" Nanoha yelled at Fate, who nodded.

"Raising Heart."

"Bardiche."

"Yes, my master."

"Yes, sir."

Nanoha aimed the device at the metal beast, Fate mimicking her moves on the other side.

"Divine-"

"Thunder-"

_Aim at where the machine is sending off the blasts._

Nanoha and Fate's eyes widened at the familiar voice.

_Trust me! That's where its heart is._

"Buster!"

"Rage!"

A pink beam shot through the machines opening, a yellow one meeting up to it from the other side. The machine burst into flames as the two mages met on the ground.

"Was that-?"

"Nanoha, behind you!" she heard in the distance.

The next couple seconds passed in slow motion as Nanoha turned to see a blast of ice blue head straight at her. She felt someone yank her backward as Fate tried to shield her from the lethal attack. She shut her eyes, waiting for Fate's gasp of pain, but it never came. She did though, feel a familiar force envelop her, but this time stronger, if possible. There was no denying that this was the surge they had felt days ago.

Fate opened her shocked eyes to see a very familiar girl with dark brown hair in front of her, effortlessly holding up a red shield, blocking the blast and saving their lives.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Fate gaped at the now armored girl. She had a high ponytail similar to Signum's, her bangs parted to the side blowing in the wind, and wore a black tank top under a sleeveless, white barrier jacket with red outlines, which reached below her knees. (A/N: Jacket somewhat like Erio's) Dark burgundy cargo pants were held by a black belt, that carried two swords on each side, which were being grasped by her black-gloved hands. There was a tattoo on her upper right arm of the solar symbol that shined in red, getting brighter with the more magic she prepared to use.

"You!" said that man dressed in dark blue, recognizing the girl who was responsible for his failed plan of bombing a certain café. He didn't wait another second, quickly aiming his gun again, not holding back and madly firing,

Hikari didn't even flinch. Before Fate or Nanoha could react, she already had both of her blades out, each moving at an extremely fast rate, smashing against all the blasts that came their way.

Signum and Hayate, who had been the one who originally called out to Nanoha, joined the couple, each staring at the mage with wonder. The blue blasts only seemed to increase, but the mage was quickly shortening her distance with the enemy, her swords never faltering.

They moved as if they were an extension of her body. Her precision would make any swordsman jealous. The jabs, swings, and twirls, so fluid and graceful that could only be done with a mixture of years of experience and natural talent.

The man, realizing his weak effort, grimaced and began to make a run for it, but was too slow. He was grabbed from the collar and violently pushed to the ground. Before he could flinch from the pain he froze, feeling the cool edges of both of the mage's swords on his neck. She leaned in close, a strange animalistic glint in her eyes.

"Tell me why I shouldn't just kill you now?" Kari whispered coldly. He whimpered like the coward she remembered. She began to smirk, the hate in her growing when she suddenly heard a voice,

"Kari-chan!"

She looked up, meeting watery mix matched eyes that widened in fear. She knew then, that the fear wasn't from the situation, but caused by her. Feeling like a bucket of ice water was just poured on her, she quickly snapped out of her warlike state.

The man took advantage of this and punched Hikari, forcing her off him. He then flew off, disappearing after going up a couple feet.

Kari rubbed her jaw as she heard footsteps toward her. She felt small arms wrap around her, a small body pressing itself on her, shaking. She smiled and patted the young girl's head.

"I'm okay. Didn't I tell you not to worry about me?"

"Still…" Vivio sniffled.

"Mom, take Vivio home." Said a rather serious voice.

Momoko and Vivio were on their way to the supermarket when the machine showed up. Nanoha and Fate came soon afterwards and told them to take cover, but they had a clear view of the event that had taken place.

Hikari looked at the eldest Takamachi, who appeared like she didn't want to leave either. Momoko gave her a worried, motherly glance as she neared the pair of sisters. Sensing her grandmother, Vivio tightened her grip and shook her head stubbornly.

"No. They can't make me, no.," she whimpered.

"Vivio," Nanoha said once more. "You have to go home."

Vivio looked at Fate, sending her a pleading look. Fate looked away, knowing that Nanoha was right. Vivio began to protest, but Hikari stopped her.

"Go on, Vivio," she said, gently prodding the girl. "It'll be okay. It's not like you'll never see me again."

"But-"

"I'll see you later, Viv," said Kari, passing her to Momoko.

Vivio looked into her eyes, for some reason not believe her, but let Momoko take her away.

Once they where out of sight, Hikari stood up straight and turned to the four mages in front of her. Her heart ached when she saw Signum and Hayate, but didn't let her face show it.

Hayate looked at this girl with curiosity.

_It's strange_, she told the others telepathically. _It's like she already knows what we're going to say_.

"Hikari Izumi, you're under arrest for suspicions of ill use of magic."

Hayate was once again interested when the young mage willing let Signum handcuff her.

"Your device." Signum commanded.

Hikari sighed, transforming back to her daily attire.

"Apollo, Athena," she called out.

"Ma signore! (But sir!)" Apollo argued.

"Apollo, Athena," she said once again, this time more commanding.

The four stared, astonished when not one, but two intelligent devices appeared from the girl's palm and float towards Signum. One was a diamond shaped ruby, the other a gold sphere.

_Just who is this girl_, Hayate wondered. _She looks like… _

Hayate quickly glanced at her best friends and looked back at the girl.

…_. But that's impossible_.

"What is your name?"

"Hikari Izumi."

"Okay, now tell me the truth. What is your name?"

"No matter how many times you ask, my name won't change."

"Then why can't we find any documentation of a 'Hikari Izumi'?"

"…"

"Okay, let's try another route. Why did you bring a bomb to non-administered planet #97?"

"I didn't."

"But wasn't it you in the video?"

"Yes, but-"

"If you didn't have anything to do with the bomb, then how did you know it was there?"

"…"

"If you didn't bring the bomb, then who did?"

"…"

"Why did you start working at the Midori-ya café the day after? Wasn't the café rather close to where the bomb went off?"

"I'm not the enemy here!"

"Then who is?"

"Listen, why would I place a bomb in the middle of the sky, just far enough so that people _wouldn't_ get hurt? And if I were after the Takamachis, don't you think I would have killed them by now. The bomb was supposed to go off at the café, I was the one who took it out before it went off."

"Then I ask again, how did you know it was there? Were you working for the enemy and suddenly had a change of heart?"

"That's not it!"

"Explain how then?"

"You wouldn't believe me."

"I don't believe you now, so any story won't hurt you."

"…"

"If that's all you've got to say-"

"I'm from the future."

"… What did you say?"

"I told you, you wouldn't believe me."

"Signum is getting agitated," Hayate said, staring at the interrogation taking place in the other room.

"I would be too," Nanoha admitted. "Actually, I would have already lost it. Can you believe that she is using time travel as an explanation?"

"Well, I didn't believe in magic when I was younger… or of other planets outside our solar system and look at me now," Hayate reasoned.

"But time travel?"

"You have a call waiting Hayate," said Rein, appearing on her master's shoulder.

Nanoha leaned back on her chair as Hayate accepted the call, letting out a deep sigh. The past day had been tiresome. Fate was back home, packing and all the while trying to get Vivio to talk to them again. The girl was genuinely upset when Nanoha tried to explain that she couldn't see Hikari anymore. Vivio refused to believe that Hikari was an enemy and she wasn't the only one, her whole family defended the mage.

"They tell me you caught someone."

"Good to see you too, Carim," Hayate grinned at her.

"How's it going?"

"The interrogation is getting us nowhere. She either stays quiet or tries to defend herself with ridiculous explanations," Nanoha answered.

"And what would that be?" Carim asked, wondering why the mage was so riled up.

"She says she's from the future," Hayate informed, noticing the blonde stopping what ever she was doing, her eyes widening. "Carim?"

"Of course," they heard her whisper. "Why didn't I realize it before?"

"You're not suggesting-"

"Took you long enough," Hikari remarked at the blonde woman who had just entered the interrogation room.

Three days had passed since her arrest, and the interrogations were getting on her last nerve. The ship had had already reached Mid-Childa and she was moved to the Section Six headquarters. Even though she hadn't seen much, it was nice to see the building standing, remembering the day it was destroyed.

Hayate, Fate, and Nanoha closely followed Carim into the room, each trying to figure out what was going on.

"You're the reason behind the surge of magical energy. You were what blocked my vision." It wasn't a question.

"Tell me, what was is that you were about to predict? It wasn't pretty was it?"

"I don't remember," she confessed. "But did it turn out so bad that time travel was the only option?"

Hikari stiffened, her frustration building up. "You were the one who suggested it. And before you ask, I came because I'm the only one left! Where I come from, everyone's dead… The Takamachi were supposed to be the first ones to go, but _I_ saved them. Trust me, we tried everything but… they were just too strong, _he _was too strong."

Fate stared at the young mage, resisting the sudden urge to hold her tight and comfort her.

_Just what did you go through?_

"Who is he?" she asked.

"My grandfather, Izumi Toshio" Hikari said in disgust, refusing to look Fate in the eye. _Your father_, she silently added.

"What about the TSAB?" Hayate demanded, ignoring the sinking feeling in her stomach. Hikari let out a humorless laugh.

"Like I said before, I'm the only one left. I came back because I have to stop him, but I can't do it alone. I needed the three of you." She finally looked up and saw Nanoha with her back turned away from her.

"He knew that to succeed, he had to get rid of you three, so he started to target the people you knew. He wanted to weaken your heart, because if he destroyed those who loved you, then you would be an easier kill… He was right."

She let out a shaky breath and continued, "That machine you saw, they weren't supposed to show up for years, and that was one of the weaker models. My guess is that he always had them and was waiting to set them free. I can teach you how to beat them, I can tell you whom he's targeting. Please, just help me in defeating him. I _won't _let that future come true… You have no _idea_ what it's like."

"We have people guarding my family and I'll ask for a full report on this Izumi Toshio. Even though I still don't trust you," Nanoha finally turned, looking at the mage with uncertainty. " I can promise you that none of us are going to let him win."

Nanoha then marched out. Fate looked at the girl once more, before following her wife out. She stopped at the door but didn't turn, "Thank you for saving us that day." She then walked out.

"You know that if they find out, you might disappear right?" Carim asked, receiving a questioning look from Hayate.

"They won't. Besides, you should have more faith in me," Hikari said, cracking a grin. "I am their daughter after all."

Hayate's jaw dropped.

_Oh my god…._

"Ehhh!"


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

"Do you think it's crazy?"

Fate opened her tired eyes and turned her head to the woman next to her.

"What do you mean?" she asked, even though she knew exactly what was causing that troubled look on her wife's beautiful face.

"That for some reason, everyone seems to trust that girl."

Even though Hikari was being monitored, she had technically been released from her previous arrest. She was free to leave at any time. This had truly bothered Nanoha and she made certain that Vivio, who had just begun to speak to them, stayed away from the mage.

"Nanoha… everyone knows that she's not telling us everything, but-"

"Do you feel it?" Nanoha finally met her wife's gaze, her amethyst eyes searching burgundy ones for answers.

"Whenever you're around her, don't you feel something… _anything_?"

"I do," Fate admitted. "I can't explain it, but I feel drawn to her, as if there's something that connects the two of us."

Nanoha sighed in relief, "At least someone agrees wi-"

"But," Fate interrupted. "I do trust her… She wouldn't have saved our lives if she wanted to kill us."

"You don't underst-"

"Have you tried talking to her? Really talk to her? Nanoha… that girl suffered. All you have to do is look into her eyes and see."

Nanoha was about to reply when a shrill cry echoed through the halls. Fate and Nanoha got out of bed, any trace of sleep washed from their faces. Even though they both wouldn't admit it, the mages new exactly who screamed. A fear was felt in the pit of their stomachs, for an unknown reason.

"_Get up," the woman said coldly, watching the young girl struggle to her feet, her breathing ragged, but only ended up on the floor again._

"_Get up!" the commander's voice grew louder and harsher, if possible._

"_Nanoha…" Someone began as they stepped closer to the pair._

"_Leave her be," Nanoha commanded, all the while knowing that the person was her superior._

_Hayate opened her mouth to retort but fell short when she looked at the little girl in front of them. Even though she was swaying dangerously, young Hikari was able to get back on her feet, all the while grimacing at the blood-oozing wounds throughout her body. The look in her eyes were of sheer determination and strength mixed with love and fear towards the woman in front of her._

_Nanoha didn't take any notice, and got into a battle stance, barely giving the girl time to register what was happening before she attacked. Hayate watched in horror as mother and daughter clashed, one fighting for recognition, the other fighting to punish._

That's it_, Hayate thought. She understood that Nanoha was suffering from the losses of the two most important people in her life, but Hikari wasn't at fault… No one was except for that man._

"_Nanoha, stop!" Hayate commanded while calling her device as Nanoha broke through the ten-year-old's weakened barrier._

_Nanoha ignored her, once again successfully getting through the girl's defenses._

"_You're weak," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You always were… that's why they're gone."_

_Hikari's eyes watered, feeling a sharp pain in her heart, but she refused to let the tears fall. Nanoha aimed Raising Heart, not wasting another second._

"FATE WOULDN'T HAVE WANTED THIS!" Hayate yelled from behind.

_Nanoha's eyes widened but before she realized what she was doing, a pink beam was shot…_

_An echoing cry was heard as blood spattered into the ground…_

_Nanoha dropped Raising Heart and fell to her knees, her tears finally falling…_

_She didn't hear Hayate's frantic commands for Shamal, or see her run past her to aid the injured girl… her daughter._

_There was so much blood…_

_Nanoha stare at her gloved hands in disbelief…_

Fate… What have I done?

Hikari woke with a start. She touched the scar on her face, her eyes shut trying to control her ragged breathing and forget the memory that kept repeating in her head, unnoticed tears sliding down her cheek.

Her eyes snapped open when her bedroom slammed open. Apollo and Athena already at hand, she shot out of bed, only to cringe in fear at the woman in front of her, the cause of her nightmare.

Nanoha caught the fear in the girl's eyes and crinkle her eyes in confusion. She felt a slight push and look behind her to see Fate urging her on. She took a tentative step towards the girl, shocked to see Kari take one step back.

"I- I'm okay," she murmured, composing herself with her mask set in place.

"No, you're not," Nanoha said honestly. "What happened?"

"Nothing."

"Didn't sound like nothing," said Vita, appearing next to Fate, Hayate and Shamal following soon after. Shamal took a step towards Hikari to check her temperature after noting her pale color and sweat, but Fate stopped her.

"It doesn't matter," Kari responded, her eyes still locked on Nanoha's. Nanoha felt unsettled by the familiar eye's gaze but held her ground.

"No," she said firmly. "You are going to tell me what happened. No more secrets."

Kari sat on her bed, her eyes closed while her hands tightly gripped the sheets. "It doesn't matter. Just let it go, I'm tired and-"

"Why else do you think everyone feels uneasy around you? You won't even bother to tell us something truthful."

_Don't you mean you feel uneasy?_ Kari asked her telepathically.

"Stop being weak and get on with it," Nanoha said using her commander voice, ignoring the girl's silent comment.

_Weak…_

Kari stood, rigid with an anger that had been building for years. Her burgundy eyes blazed with a ferocity that startled all the mages in the room.

"You want to know why you feel so uneasy around me? It's because of the mark you left on me, the magical residue from your device that has yet to leave me! If you think I got this scar in battle then you're wrong… It was you. You gave it to me before I even turned eleven, because I wasn't strong enough for you… you punished me for it with this," she finished, pointing at the scar.

Nanoha's eyes widened in astonishment, her head shaking in denial but Fate was right, the emotion in the younger girl's eyes told no lies.

"Kýrie," Athena warned.

That seemed to snap Hikari out of her angry daze. Before anyone could stop her, she fled past the group, out the room to the only place she knew she could trust.

After a couple minutes Hayate followed after her, still stupefied by what had just occurred.

"Shamal…" Nanoha started, her lip trembling. "Was she…"

"She wasn't lying… I should have noticed earlier..."

A bit later Vita and Shamal left too, but Fate didn't really pay attention. Her own feelings and urges to find Hikari were pushed aside, her heart broke as the love of her life tried to come to terms with the act she had yet to perform.

Nanoha finally understood her feeling towards the girl… it was guilt, uncontrollable guilt that her heart was protecting her from. Her shoulders shook as she fell to her knees, her eyes shut tight, trying to keep the tears at bay. Fate was quick to act, being the shoulder her wife needed to lean on.

No words were spoken...

No words were needed…

Kari grunted as she blocked another attack from the machine. She had been training for some time now and had finally reached a level of peace, her emotions in check. She got out of her battle stance, sensing a familiar aura waling her way. The machine turned off as she turned to find a pajama wearing Hayate.

"You'll wake the entire sector if you keep practicing like that."

"Sorry," she said. "I should have asked for your permission."

Hayate held up a hand to silence her.

"I've been watching you for a while now. If I wanted to stop you, I would have done it a long time ago."

Hayate stared at the girl before in wonder, for she had barely broken a sweat after fighting their most powerful training machine. Hikari grinned, finally noticing her superior's duckling patterned pajamas.

"We should get back… we wouldn't want anyone to see the great Yagami Hayate wearing such adorable pajamas," she teased.

Hayate winked and twirled for the girl, "You like? I have a pair that would look adorable on you."

Hikari shivered at the thought, being reminded of many instances when she found herself in odd outfits to appease her aunt's fetishes. Laughter broke out between the two, and Hayate realized that this was the first time she heard the girl laugh. She sounded so much like…

"You have your mother's smile." The unexpected comment ceased the girl's laughter, but brought out a nostalgic smile.

"You used to tell me that all the time."

"I did?" Kari nodded in confirmation.

"You always said that when I was depressed… that it was a shame that I couldn't see it for myself… Mom didn't smile much."

The familiar melancholy look washed over her face and Hayate felt tears coming on. How terrible was this possible future?

Hikari felt arms wrap around her, a terribly missed warmth appearing.

"I'm sorry," she heard her aunt whisper. "I'm so sorry… I promise you, I'll do everything in my power to not let that happen."

Hayate felt the young girl start to shake, feeling tears wet her pajama top. Her arms tightened, a hand lovingly petting the girl's hair. She never realized how small Kari was… Never took the time to realize that this soldier was just a scared girl who wanted her family back…

Vivio slowly made her way out of her hiding spot, and made her way back to her room. Even though she too wanted to comfort Kari, she knew it wasn't her place. When she got settled in her bed, she wondered about what was so familiar about Kari's smile. She turned her body on to its side, her eyes falling on a picture of her and her mamas. Her eyes widened…

_No… way_


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

"I don't get it. Why does Nanoha even feel guilty about something she hasn't done yet?" Vita asked, looking back at the events that had taken place hours ago. Since their master had yet to return, the knights sat in their living room, each pondering over their own thoughts. Vita had been the first to break the silence that had been created. Shamal sighed, trying to find to right words to explain.

"Izumi-san's scar," she began, "was not the product of a typical wound. Usually, magic itself doesn't leave a trace, it's a clean shot, in and out. Any injury it causes heals naturally. Only under certain circumstances, when the intensity of the attack and distance between the attacker and the recipient are just right, can magic ever leave a scar. And when it does, it also leaves magical residue, which is similar to DNA. It's unique to the mage who created it. The recipient isn't just physically scarred, but magically as well. In a sense, it's as if they were branded by the attacking mage. Once that happens, any being with a drop of magic in them will be able to sense the magical residue if they know how to find it. They could even decipher who's residue it is if they have felt the mage's magical aura before. So, if any magical being can sense the magical residue, imagine how the one who branded the person with it would feel. Time doesn't play a role in such a case. The present Nanoha can feel it just as much as the future Nanoha, hence her guilt for injuring Izumi-san."

The silence grew once more, but before anyone could get used to it, the knights heard the front door of their apartment open.

"Why are you all still awake?" their master asked, a ghost of a smile on her tired face.

"We were worried," said Zarifa as Hayate patted him softly.

"How's Nanoha?" Vita asked but Hayate simply shrugged.

"What about Izumi-san?" asked Signum but regretted it the moment a look of worry was cast on her master's face.

"I don't know... that girl refuses to let anyone in, and its killing her. I want to help her but there is only so much I can do," sad Hayate, sounding defeated which was rare to hear. "Let's get some rest. Yuuno-kun should have some information on this Izumi Toshio tomorrow."

"So you mean to tell me that the man we're looking for is one of the TSAB's most honorable veterans?" Yuuno Scrya could only nod at Chrono's speechlessness. Having been keeping in touch with everyone involved and being the reason the case had been kept under wraps, Chrono had been up to date with the latest news on the 'Magical Surge' case and one of the four people to first hear about the potential enemy. He was also informed on the identity of a certain time traveler.

"But... How?" Hayate asked, trying to comprehend.

"He was one of the head researchers for the TSAB and one of the reasons our technology is so far advanced. But it's odd..." Yuuno said through the screen, "Its says here that he went missing after returning from a study that took several years, which doesn't make much sense since the study was successful."

"So he just disappeared? Is there any information on why?" Carim asked while sneaking a glance at the blonde next to Chrono, who seemed deep in thought.

"That's what bothers me. It states that a couple days after coming back, he turned in a form of resignation and left. Whenever the TSAB tried to contact him, he would always ignore them. Soon they just gave up on him. No other record of him has been created since then, even as a common citizen of Mid-Childa. No bank account, no address... nothing."

"Is there still a picture on file?" Fate finally asked. "Assuming that he still lives here, maybe we have seen him, just under a different name."

The picture that Yuuno brought up on screen caused three out of four pairs of eyes to widen. Glaring before them stood a picture of a tall good-looking man with blond hair and familiar burgundy eyes.

_So this is where Fate gets her looks from_, Hayate thought while meeting Chrono's gaze.

"Well I can see the resemblance," Fate commented, causing Hayate to almost lose her footing and Chrono to choke on his drink.

"W-what do you mean?" Hayate asked nervously.

"Well look at him. Only a fool wouldn't be able tell that he's Hikari's grandfather."

Carim tried to hold back a giggle while the others tried to regain their posture. _Oh you fool... Ignorance truly does make the world less complicated_.

"Mama?" Nanoha looked up from her desk to see a rather worried Vivio.

"What is it, Vivio? Is everything alright?" Vivio nodded but timidly walked up to her mother's surprised yet welcoming arms. She took a couple seconds to cherish her mother's warmth and scent before finally speaking.

"Mama, are _you _alright?" There were millions of other things she wanted to ask and tell her mom but for some reason, whenever she had the chance, she couldn't find the words, like something inside her was preventing her from including her mothers in her recent discovery. It was as if something inside of her didn't want her to tell her mothers... at least not yet.

Nanoha hesitated to answer. _Was _she 'alright'? She tightened her hold on her daughter, fearing a future that loomed over them... a future that would turn her into a monster. Or at least someone who was able to instill enough fear in Izumi-san to allow her to show it. Nanoha still couldn't get rid of the memory of those burgundy eyes, filled clearly with fear and hate. The question wasn't_who _she was going to lose, it was _when_. Her family were supposed to have been already dead according to the soldier from the future. Would the girl in her arms be next? Her heart felt an icy grip just at the thought.

"I love you Vivio. I will never let anything happen to you," she said and the little girl looked up at her with adoration and trust that is only seen when a child is with their mother.

"... Even if it means working with Kari?" Vivio couldn't understand why her mom didn't like Kari, but Vivio had promised herself that she would make them be able to at least talk to each other without one of them leaving the room with anger or distrust. If Kari was really her mom's daughter, then that meant that she was her younger sister, and Vivio had to look out for her family.

A small grin appeared on Nanoha's face. "You really care about that girl, don't you?" She ruffled the girl's hair and stood up. She held out a hand for Vivio and began to lead them to the training arena. As they got closer, they began to hear the clanging of swords, which only meant one thing.

"Let's see what that twerp from the future is many out of." Nanoha said, winking at Vivio, who grinned at her mother's words. Her mother was slowly learning to accept Kari. She knew that with the two of them on the same side, nothing and no one stood a chance.

Signum grunted as the swords met again. Though she would never admit it, the girl was good... Really good.

"I _was _trained by you," the said girl stated, reading the knight's mind. _Damn it! I hate that smug smirk! _inwardly yelled Agito, her frustration growing. _She thinks she knows everything!_ Signum would have chuckled at the tantrum if two swords weren't menacingly close to her neck.

Hikari narrowed her eyes as she tightened her grip on both of her swords, using the force of the clashing weapons to push herself away from Signum, creating enough distance between them to successfully execute a long range attack. She held out the Roman sword on her right, the long blade engraved with Latin scriptures and a ruby diamond glistening on the black hilt, and aimed it at her opponent.

"Apollo, _Infuria Fiamma _(Raging Flame)!" she yelled while she did a jagged motion in the air, causing a red magical circle to appear and with a flaming beam growing each passing second.

"Sì, signore" the device responded, signaling her to finish, which she did by slicing the circle horizontally in half, releasing the beam at Signum, reaching the target at an incredible speed.

Signum struggle to put up and keep her shield to protect herself from the attack. The force of the girl's blast had pushed her to the ground, causing her feet to sink into the earth, the land not able to withstand the strength of the attack. Signum looked up at the girl in awe, noticing that although she was slightly out of breath, Izumi-san was not even close to her magical limit. _How much magic does this girl have?_

A safe distance away, Teana Lanster and Subaru Nakajima watched with astonishment as sparks of purple and red smashed and chased each other through the grounds and sky. The rest of the group had already seen the young warrior fight so just enjoyed the show of lights in front of them.

"We have to fight _her_!" Subaru whispered to Tea, feeling her confidence slipping. She was quickly shushed by the private who was trying to take as many notes of the unknown warrior, quickly going over several tactics to use when confronting her.

The group heard the sound of sliding doors and turned to see Vivio and Nanoha, the former walking to reach her other mother who picked her up in her arms and the latter immediately focusing her eyes on the blazing red dot that was flying through the air, blocking and dodging all of Signum's attacks.

"How long have they been fighting?" Nanoha asked.

"Almost two hours," Teana replied, disbelief evident in her voice.

"Alright guys, that's enough. Come down here, we have to talk." said Hayate, calling the two mages over.

Vivio quickly left Fate's side once she had a clear view of Hikari. Hayate caught Chrono's eyes and both had to hold back a laugh as the younger girl pestered the time traveller, complaining that she shouldn't fight for so long. Hayate noticed Hikari smile at her sister lovingly, not minding being bossed around by a five year old, happiness truly reaching the elder girl's eyes for once. _If only Vivio knew how much that girl needed her older sister pestering her like this... how much it means to her._

"Ok, everyone," Chrono started, "You have all been briefed on the situation so I won't waste time reviewing it. We finally have a face to place on our enemy," he held out a headshot of the said suspect. The tension in the room changed when the picture was shown. Teana's eyes widened, recognizing the man that her brother had once spoke of with such praise. Nanoha scrutinized the picture, trying to engrave the face of the possible murder of her family.

"Kari?" Vivio said, breaking the silence, looking up the soldier who looked pale and shaken, her eyes glazing over as memories flashed through her mind...

_"Let me go!" the young girl shouted, tears rollling down her cheeks as she uselessly fought the powerful man's painful grip._

_The man laughed. "Really now! Is that anyway to treat your grandfather?" He gripped her tighter causing her to yelp in pain. His laughter was abruptly stopped by a beam of yellow electricity just missing his head by a millimeter. The girl could have cried of joy right them and there as she saw her mother fly toward them at frightening speed, pure rage present on her face. She struggled harder against the man, becoming more and more desperate to reach her mother._

_"Mama!" she yelled, feeling a burning sensation from within her. Suddenly, she heard a shout of pain behind her and was released from her grip. Not wasting time she ran to her mother's waiting arms, sobs shaking her small frame as her mother tightly wrapped her arms around the girl, as if to shield her from any more danger. She was too disoriented to see the army of soldiers entering the ship._

_"Kari-chan, listen to me!" her mother began urgently, "You have to get out of here. Nanoha-mama and Hayate are waiting outside on another craft. No matter what you hear or what you see, _do not_ look back. Just keep going, understand?" the little girl nodded, but felt an even worse fear grip her. _Why wasn't Mama coming with me?

_She felt chapped lips press against her forehead as her mother trembled to let her go. Although she didn't realize it at the time, the wetness she felt from her mother's parting kiss was not sweat but tears. Tears of what the mother knew the child would go through once she made it out. What she was forcing her daughter to deal with alone... a woman she has loved for years, a woman who was no longer the same girl who wanted to be her friend... Burgundy met burgundy one final time, one desperately hoping for her mother to come back safely, the other desperately begging for forgiveness and understanding. Fate caressed her daughter's cheek, giving her a brave smile that would forever be with the girl._

_"Be strong Hikari, for all of us." Kari nodded, and turned. She hesitated for a second, feeling the tears appear again. But even with her blurry vision, she began to run, run toward freedom, toward another day. All the while leaving her strength, her safety, her Fate-mama behind._

_Once she reached the entrance, she saw her other mother and Aunt Hayate waiting for her like she was told. She jumped off the ship to them, wanting her mother to hold her like she used to, only to be caught by her aunt, who then flew in front of Nanoha._

_"Nanoha, we have to leave."_

_"No."_

_"Nanoha, we have to trust Fate and take Kari back-"_

_"NO!" Kari cringed at her mother's tone._

_"Head back to base Takamachi. That's an order."_

_Nanoha gave them a look of anger and began to fly towards their craft but an explosion made them freeze..._

_Nanoha shook as she turned to the destroyed airship in disbelief. The shock that had overcome her quickly turning into despair. She flew past them toward the wreckage._

_"FATE!"_

_Hikari could only watch as her broken mother looked through the falling ship, her own burgundy eyes wide. Hayate let out a shaky breath, tightening her hold on the young girl. But Hikari didn't feel warmth from the embrace... she would remain cold for a long time._

_"Mama" she whispered..._

"Kari?" Hikari felt a hand grasp her clenched fist, knuckles white. She looked down at the girl and gave her a small smile, trying to keep those memories locked up. She looked to Chrono and nodded in confirmation, that was the man they were after.

"The machines this man has created are unlike any we have ever faced. But since we have Izumi-san with us, she will be able to teach us how to face these machines. Starting tomorrow, you all will be reporting here at 0600 hours to begin the training. Understood?"

"Yes Sir!"

_"Nanoha, Fate's still alive. There's still hope-"_

_"Shut up..." Nanoha muttered, taking another sip of her drink. Hayate sighed. Ever since Vivio's death, Nanoha had changed, but Fate was the one person who could bring the old her back, even if just for a while. She shared a look with Lindy, who too, shared her feelings._

_Hikari had been staying with Lindy ever since the incident. Nanoha hadn't spoken to her daughter in months and it pained Lindy to try to explain to the young girl why her mother refused to take care of her. Nanoha spent all her time at the headquarters and never stopped searching for her lost love. For her to even be here was a huge step._

_"Nanoha-chan... Hikari really missed-"_

_"Don't," Nanoha began, "You don't get it... She looks just like her... I can't. I just can't."_

_"Fate isn't gone yet! Do you hear your daughter? She's laughing outside and playing with _Arf_! Arf wouldn't be here if Fate were..." Hayate couldn't bring herself to say it._

_"I feel her, Hayate. All that he makes her go through... all the torture. I feel it _everyday_. She's going through hell and I can't do anything. I can't even find her!" Nanoha slammed a fist against the table in frustration._

_"She would want you to not give up on her _or_ your daughter... Nanoha, you're not the only one who's lost someone. Hikari loves Fate too," Lindy replied, unfazed by the woman's outburst._

_Nanoha's eyes softened slightly, "She really does... They were inseparable. Even I was jealous..."_

_It might have been small, but the two women felt relief when they saw a weak smile on Nanoha's face. But of course... hope in this time of war never lasted long._

_The three women stood, hearing the sound of a young girl yelling. But what she said was what made them freeze._

_"Arf, wake up! Arf!"_

Hikari woke with a start. She felt moisture on her face and found her cheeks wet with tears. She walked to the bathroom and wiped her face with cold water, as if that would make the painful memories go away. She sighed when she looked at the time. The sun had yet to rise, yet here came another night with no rest. Even when she meditated, memories were still making their way through to her mind. She went back to bed and stared at the ceiling,

_I'm trying to be strong, Mama... but maybe that's not enough._

**A/N: Like it? Hate it? Let me know XD!**


	9. Chapter 9

Hi!

…

So let's ignore my 2-year disappearance okay? ^^

What I would like to tell you all is that I'm back and in the hiatus I have been rewriting some details of the story. Small details (little plot holes that need to be fixed as well as some pet peeves I noticed in my writing). For some reason this story has yet to release me, even after such a long time.

I won't bore you guys with excuses on why it has taken me so long to update (Life). But I do want to announce that I am going to continue this story. However, because of the changes I am making, I don't know if it will be easier to just delete this and re-post it. Also, I won't be posting the said "new and improved" Martyr until I have completed it. This is because I don't want to leave you all hanging again. I don't know how long that will take me either. I believe writing is organic. It just hits you and you write. I don't want to rush this.

It is a story I want to tell (trust me I have two more in mind within the same Hikari universe). I have always loved and respected excellent works of fanfiction because they are written purely for entertainment, not money or fame (beside 50 shades). I love the Nanoha universe (along with many more) and this character, "Hikari" which was of my own creation. They deserve the best of my writing abilities. So I ask for your patience once more. The entire story is outlined and all! Hopefully in the coming months you will soon see more posts!

For new readers, sorry you got this instead of a new chapter.

For my dear old readers, I'm sorry for the wait. You guys were a few but a few I cherished never the less.

PS: To all those who PMed me, consider this my reply ^^


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